Tuesday Open Thread
I am back and it seems to be quite a busy week.
Ballots are dropping this week for the November 4th election. I'll have more to say on the ballot measures on preschools but, from being out on the campaign trail, I see that it seems to be shaping up somewhat like the charter school measure. Meaning, unions against wealthy ed reformers.
I will be speaking about the two preschool measures at a voters forum this Thursday, Oct. 16th at Horizon House, 900 University Street, starting at 7:30 pm. This is co-sponsored with the League of Women Voters who have already recommended a no vote to both measures. (Meaning, vote no on the first question and send idea back to the drawing board which is my position as well.)
The agenda for both the Operations Committee meetings this week on Thursday the 16th are still not available. That seems odd but I suspect it's because the Board may be considering finding funds to accept the Federal Reserve building and renovate it.
I'll put this up now but please let your PTA or PTO or any other newsletter writers at your school know about this event:
The AARP is a sponsor of a free dental, vision and medical care clinic on Thursday, October 23rd to Sunday, October 26th at Key Arena from 6 am to 6 pm (line-up starts at midnight with numbers given out at 3:30 am).
Patients do NOT need ID of proof of citizenship. Parking is free. No advanced registration (first come, first served). Licensed healthcare professionals are available, both male and female.
I know these events have been hugely attended in other parts of the country. Please let any families within your community know about this opportunity.
Update:
A couple of other items:
A teacher in Philadelphia is reporting that students taking the PSAT are being asked to sign up for text messaging on financial aid but also to have personal data shared with two organizations uAspire (for one-to-one financial aid and college advising) & Harvard’s Center for College Policy Research – to study impact of this. I do not know if this is true for SPS and I don't know these two groups. But this testing period is coming up and you might want to ask your child's counselor/principal about this and discuss with your student what data should go out.
The DOE is giving grants to six charter schools in Washington state. These include Excel Public Charter, First Place Scholars Charter, PRIDE Prep, Rainier Prep, SOAR Academies and Green Dot. Each is getting at least $200K and Green Dot will get $2.5M over three years (they are a charter management org). (Former TFAer and SPS staffer Bree Dusseault has been hired as head of Green Dot, Washington State.) Green Dot will be leasing space in an old Tacoma school, John. R. Rogers Elementary.
I note that the Charter Commission meeting minutes reflect something of a confusion over whether the Commission should allow charters to open in facilities own by religious groups. The Commission stated it will be gathering information and creating a policy.
The Commission last week rejected two charter applications for a second time (Village Academy and Sunnyside Charter). Commissioners seem deeply torn over passion for these schools versus the need for clear nuts and bolts on running them. The only one approved this round was for another Green Dot school, a 6-12 school somewhere in south Seattle.
Ballots are dropping this week for the November 4th election. I'll have more to say on the ballot measures on preschools but, from being out on the campaign trail, I see that it seems to be shaping up somewhat like the charter school measure. Meaning, unions against wealthy ed reformers.
I will be speaking about the two preschool measures at a voters forum this Thursday, Oct. 16th at Horizon House, 900 University Street, starting at 7:30 pm. This is co-sponsored with the League of Women Voters who have already recommended a no vote to both measures. (Meaning, vote no on the first question and send idea back to the drawing board which is my position as well.)
The agenda for both the Operations Committee meetings this week on Thursday the 16th are still not available. That seems odd but I suspect it's because the Board may be considering finding funds to accept the Federal Reserve building and renovate it.
I'll put this up now but please let your PTA or PTO or any other newsletter writers at your school know about this event:
The AARP is a sponsor of a free dental, vision and medical care clinic on Thursday, October 23rd to Sunday, October 26th at Key Arena from 6 am to 6 pm (line-up starts at midnight with numbers given out at 3:30 am).
Patients do NOT need ID of proof of citizenship. Parking is free. No advanced registration (first come, first served). Licensed healthcare professionals are available, both male and female.
I know these events have been hugely attended in other parts of the country. Please let any families within your community know about this opportunity.
Update:
A couple of other items:
A teacher in Philadelphia is reporting that students taking the PSAT are being asked to sign up for text messaging on financial aid but also to have personal data shared with two organizations uAspire (for one-to-one financial aid and college advising) & Harvard’s Center for College Policy Research – to study impact of this. I do not know if this is true for SPS and I don't know these two groups. But this testing period is coming up and you might want to ask your child's counselor/principal about this and discuss with your student what data should go out.
The DOE is giving grants to six charter schools in Washington state. These include Excel Public Charter, First Place Scholars Charter, PRIDE Prep, Rainier Prep, SOAR Academies and Green Dot. Each is getting at least $200K and Green Dot will get $2.5M over three years (they are a charter management org). (Former TFAer and SPS staffer Bree Dusseault has been hired as head of Green Dot, Washington State.) Green Dot will be leasing space in an old Tacoma school, John. R. Rogers Elementary.
I note that the Charter Commission meeting minutes reflect something of a confusion over whether the Commission should allow charters to open in facilities own by religious groups. The Commission stated it will be gathering information and creating a policy.
The Commission last week rejected two charter applications for a second time (Village Academy and Sunnyside Charter). Commissioners seem deeply torn over passion for these schools versus the need for clear nuts and bolts on running them. The only one approved this round was for another Green Dot school, a 6-12 school somewhere in south Seattle.
Comments
The first is something like "do you want either measure?" You can vote Yes and pick one.
Or you can vote "no" and stop right there.
If there are enough "no" votes, neither measure will pass (no matter how many votes either 1A or 1B get).
Oddly, if you vote "no" you are allowed to hedge your bets (in case there are more "yes" votes on the first question) and vote for 1A or 1B.
I'm voting "no" to the first question (in hopes that it prevails and sends both sides back to the table together to hammer our ONE proposal that voters can understand and feel good about).
But, yes, I am hedging my bets and voting for 1A. I feel that I want to side with those caregivers/teachers on the front lines, I do want more training and regulation of these caregivers and that it would, overall, affect just as many (if not more) kids from birth-5 years old than number of kids served in 1B.
I also don't like subsidizing pre-k for those who can truly afford it as 1B would.
I'm not sure anyone will "win."
And I'm sure there are more than a few prop. 1B supporters who are hoping the inherent confusion in those options helps them win the day...sigh...
reader47
And do you think it appropriate that the unions be the sole training provider? I don't.
I will be voting NO on the initial question and won't bother hedging my bets.
Finally, I agree with you that 1A would affect more kids than 1B --- 1A will cause preschools to close or reduce the quality of their programs.
--- swk
Proposition 1A (Initiative 107) would establish a $15 minimum wage for childcare workers (phased in over three years for employers with under 250 employees); seek to reduce childcare costs to 10% or less of family income; prohibit violent felons from providing professional childcare; require enhanced training and certification through a training institute; create a workforce board and establish a fund to help providers meet standards; and hire an organization to facilitate communication between the City and childcare workers.
Regulating felons? requiring enhanced training?
I think those are all new regulations.
Both the City's plan and the unions plan criticize the city for not having some of its own regulations and only using state ones.
Do I think it's needed? Probably. Have I seen that there is regulation to the nth degree in some cases? ditto. But that's another day, not these two.
Both plans could cause preschools to close or reduce quality.
Can violent felons currently provide professional childcare? Aren't childcares licensed and don't these licenses require fingerprint background checks on all employees? Would this even be a new regulation, or simply a scare tactic of the unions to get people to vote for their proposal?
And who is going to regulate this required "enhanced training and certification"? The unions? The city? DEL? Turnover, especially for part-time childcare employees, is pretty high. Who is going to ensure that ALL new employees are getting the "enhanced training and certification"?
And regardless of who is going to set up the massive bureaucracy to oversee and regulate this "enhanced training and certification," who is paying for all of this? Taxpayers? The childcares themselves? If the latter, where is this money supposed to come from? The childcares won't be able to raise their tuition to cover the costs because there will be a cap on the amount of tuition each family will pay.
I bet the $$$ that the unions rake in on required "enhanced training and certification" could provide multiple hires for the unions --- being a PD provider can be quite lucrative, just ask WEA.
What a disaster.
--- swk
California billionaire pours $250K more into his Wash. climate PAC
Hanauer rages at Constantine over police militarization
□Critics say Gates Foundation's agriculture program won't help poor farmers
Finally, a good guy not trying to buy or bully politicians
Seattle philanthropist Floyd Jones gives $10M to ACLU
The city's plan includes funding for individuals, with 4 year degrees, to enter into "alternative teaching pathways" and this is Teach for America.
As is, I don't believe a prek would have access to public dollars for a charter schools...banding with K-3 space/ facilities there is an absolute possibility that schools could be taken over by a charter organization. Guessing by the funders of 1B..I am suspect.
The grant from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation is nothing more than an early attempt to highly inter-connect 2 separate forms of government. Claims that Bailey Gatzert would go without prek, if grants aren't accepted, is false. The city has set aside $60M for prek efforts.
Next time, I'll be voting NO.
The state has decided to invalidate test scores from Beacon Hill due to heavy erasures. Let's not allow this madness into our preschool classes.
Vote NO on 1B
http://blogs.seattletimes.com/educationlab/2014/10/14/state-invalidates-test-scores-in-seattle-elementary-school/#.VD2hxvy9iBE.facebook
We're talking about toddlers and growth.
The need to start over...both sides together.
That Hanauer versus Constantine episode is very funny but also annoying. Rich guys get attention that no one else would get in the same situation.
Yes, Burgess seems to have set himself up to either look like a knight in shining armor (or, as Mayor Murray called him "the Godfather of Preschool)or the guy who mightily overreached.
Given how quickly he dropped out of the mayoral race when it looked like he would really have a challenger in Murray, I'd say the latter.
Interestingly, there's a woman, Alison Holcomb, who has suddenly piped up over at Publicola on 1B to the point where she really sounds like a talking points person. I hear she wants to run for City Council.
Funny how this 1B preschool measure seems like a launching pad for so many.
Where did I get those figures? The highly touted BERG report that the City's plan comes from.
I will say that the City's plan does not include salary costs BUT
Burgess says that, at some point, the City Council "rejected" those salaries.
But the Action Plan from the City speaks of the BERK plan, several times, in glowing terms. There is NO asterisk that says "the City Council rejected parts of the BERK report."
I have asked when the City Council voted this rejection and no one can give me a date or point me to any video where it happened.
I think what really happened is that some people actually read everything documented on the City's preschool efforts and I suspect that isn't what some at the City/City Council expected.
I'm fine about retracting my statements; I just need proof.
Here's a good rundown of what's wrong with the city plan:
http://seattleducation2010.wordpress.com/2014/09/24/11-reasons-why-seattles-preschool-for-all-proposition-1b-is-a-bad-idea/
Cameo
Melissa, do you have a link for this? I can't seem to find more details on this, or an original post anywhere. Anyone??
If it's behind some kind of "wall", like a facebook post, could someone post the original information here?
Schools are giving the PSAT here in Seattle TOMORROW, and it would be great to be able to tell the kids what to NOT sign up for.
North of 85th.
Black and Brown Male Summit at Highline CC
The PSAT is how National Merit Scholars are preliminarily identified.
It is also a vital practice for the SAT - which like it or not, is important for college admissions. If you're not able to afford SAT tutoring, then the PSAT is a way to practice.
Frankly, as a parent who has opted out of tests in the past, this is one of the few tests we would NOT opt out of - and might even take in 10th grade for extra practice - b/c it actually has meaning, unlike pretty much every other test.
PSAT - not a joke. Not meaningless. Don't jump on the "opt out b/c of data sharing!" (which I do dislike) wagon without knowing what you're not participating in. A high-achieving student with a potential to be a National Merit finalist, or a student who wants to practice for the SATs, should probably take this test.
Signed: Math Counts
I'm saying tell your kids to give the minimum information and DON'T give out any part of their SSN.
It's been a convenient trope ever since.
--enough already